Perfect
by Charlene Heo
Summary: Alan Bosley is not perfect. He can't be perfect, despite the expectations piled up on him. When a confrontation with Ray does horribly wrong, he can't find it in himself to smile again. It's up to Gerry to bring justice to Alan's soiled spirit- and up to Gerry to bring the beautiful smile back to Alan's face. WARNING: SLASH/MATURE THEMES/VULGARITIES.


**Author's Note: **So I was really deeply inspired by Disney's _Remember the Titans _film, and yet appalled at the lack of appreciation for it in this particular fandom, especially the characterisation of Alan Bosley.

If you studied him closely (LIKE I DID HAHA), you'll notice that he's basically all smiles and sunshine and a loving person. I really love characters like that who seem all happy or 'comic relief' because they're the best to work with, and the most lovable kind of person, in my opinion.

So yeah, I've decided to work with Alan Bosley as the star of this story, and being the fujoshi that I am, I'm going to include yaoi/BL/slash pairings in this, around Alan.

The options are Gerry/Alan, Sunshine/Alan or Petey/Alan... or anything else that comes to mind. Hope you enjoy it!

* * *

**Perfect  
**_Story by Charlene Heo_

* * *

Perfect.

That's the word Alan Bosley's life revolved around. To be perfect at school, perfect at football, and perfect at every single god darned aspect of his young life.

* * *

"_Hey, Dad! Look, I got a B in Algebra!" The blonde slammed the door shut, holding up his test score with pride. It had taken a lot of work getting his grades up from an F to a B! He was just no good with numbers and formulas and whatnot. It had taken _ages_ of begging for John Cooper (the nerd, who was kinda quiet but at the same time, really disagreeable) to agree to tutor him._

_Fred Bosley looked up, an eyebrow raised. "A _B_? That's all you got? One B in Algebra and you're happy with that kinda shit?"_

_Alan froze, and his mother huffed, frowning at her husband with disapproval. _

_Kate Bosley set down her teacup and crossed her arms. "I don't see why you're not happy, Fred. Can't you show a little compassion?" She protested, adjusting her ascot. They were probably about to head out for some charity dinner or something; they were both dressed to impress._

"_I'll show him compassion when he brings him straight As, Kate! And _nothing _less than that!" Fred got up abruptly from his seat, storming past his still unmoving son, outside to his car._

_Wincing at the door slamming shut, Alan's mother got up from her seat, laying a manicured hand on his shoulder. _

"_He'll come around, sweetie. He's just having a bad day− and there's an important business dinner later that evening so he's real stressed-like."_

"_It's no big deal, Mum," Alan gave his mother a smile, flopping down onto the plush leather couch. He looked around their living room, beautifully decorated with the finest oak wood, polished glass coffee table and grey-bricked mantelpiece with their family photograph hanging above it._

_It looked… _perfect_._

"_Well, if you're sure, sweetie. There's leftover meatloaf from today's lunch, and money in the drawer if you want to head on out. Curfew's eleven, and don't forget to lock all the doors and windows−"_

"_Alright, Mum! Sheesh!"_

_Kate laughed, and patted down her long blonde hair, perfectly curled. She was a beautiful woman, clearly the show-wife of a successful businessman. She too, was _perfect_, and had been Miss Virginia in the Miss USA pageant back in her youth. _

_His father too, was _perfect_, and he owned one of the most successful law firms in the state, as well as a few major trading stocks. _

"_Okay then," Kate leaned down, ruffling his hair and giving him a peck on the cheek like she always had from his diaper days. "Be safe."_

"_You both too, Mum. Try to convince Dad to lay off the champagne!" _

_All he got in response was a tinkering laugh, and his mother's heels clacking against the marble floor. _

_Then the door slammed shut, and he was alone again._

* * *

Alan hummed a tune to himself as he stuffed his books in his locker, letter jacket sliding off his shoulders. School had ended, and it was Friday. Pondering what to do during the weekend, what happened next was entirely unexpected.

He felt a tap on his shoulder, and whirled around with an exasperated look on his face, thinking it was Petey (the latter had a habit of tapping you on one shoulder and then slapping your face from the other side).

It was Ray Budds. Alan and Gerry's friend from elementary school, Alan's friend who had been expelled from the team, Alan's friend who had stopped talking to him a while back.

Gerry had refused to tell him why Ray had been kicked off the team.

* * *

"_You'd be better off not knowing, pal." Gerry said, slinging an arm around Alan's leaner frame, the muscle in his single arm making the blonde groan and shrug off at the burden._

"_Why not?! He's my friend too!" Alan demanded, his usually happy blue eyes filled with hurt. Gerry sighed, running a hand through his buzz-cut hair. _

"_Just ask him yourself. At least… after he cools down. Give it a week or so."_

* * *

After that particular conversation, the Titans had been so busy with practice and games (not to mention all the stress that came with the town's support) that Alan's plan to ask Ray about what happened had completely slipped his mind.

"Hey… Alan." Ray said softly, his grey-blue eyes uncertain.

The blonde flinched at the 'formal' way he was addressed. What happened to 'Al' or 'buddy' or 'bro'? Were they strangers now?

"How's it going, Ray?" Alan offered in return, along with a small smile. It wasn't really a smile; more like a grimace, actually. The young Bosley was incapable of faking emotions, like his father.

If only he gained his mother's ability to lie (he had seen the receipts from Chanel and they were _not_ the amounts his father knew she spent). Then maybe he could come up with an excuse and run off to find Gerry.

He really hated confrontation. The last time he'd been in a fight was when Julius and Gerry knocked heads with each other at the beginning of camp; and it hadn't even been his fault! Tommy Evans had just pinned him down and began slugging him in the arm!

"I'm cool, thanks. I was just… wonderin' if I could talk to ya for a sec."

Alan hesitated for a second.

Had Ray always been this… private? They used to talk about the grossest things in the hallways, everything from girls they made out with to the kind of underwear that worked best for their crotches.

But then again, he did suppose this counted as 'special', since they weren't exactly friends anymore.

"Sure, pal." Alan said, in an attempt to be friendly. Ray nodded, and led them down the hallway towards the back exit of the school. The shorter of the two flung the door open and into the parking lot, where a bunch of guys were hanging around a dirty-green car.

It was Ray's car. This didn't look good.

"Alan," Ray reached back and gripped the blonde's arm, yanking him down the steps towards the guys. "These are my friends. They wanna talk to you 'bout somethin'."

The blonde fidgeted under their gazes. They didn't look like anybody he knew. They looked older, and bigger, maybe college students. What was Ray doing hanging around with _them_? Not to mention the way the dark-haired guy was staring at him seemed a little less than friendly.

"So… you're that Bosley kid, huh? The one who hangs around 'em blacks." He sneered, crossing his arms.

_Great_. So _this_ was what Ray wanted to talk about? So not 'smooth', as Blue might put it. He couldn't believe Ray was still hanging out with racists! Didn't he enjoy being in the team, bonding with the guys? Didn't he−

Then it hit him. _Oh_. So THAT was why Gerry kicked him off?

"He doesn't look so tough. He's all slim and pretty like my sister." A fellow blonde with a crooked nose insulted, a cackling laugh escaping thin lips. Alan scowled, flipping him off. "Well she can't be _too_ pretty if she looks anything like you, ass."

This triggered a simultaneous cry of outrage from the guys, them closing in on him.

Ray shook his head. "Look, Alan. We don't want any trouble. We just wanted to warn you to keep away from the scum− something big's coming up and I'm only telling you this because I don't want you getting mixed up in it."

"Something _big_? Like WHAT, a rumble?! Oh, _give me a break_! You're better than this, Ray!" Alan retorted, his blue eyes filled with anger and sadness. It was anger at Ray for being such an idiot after all this time, and sadness because Ray was lost.

"SHUT UP! What would you know?! You sold yourself in to the likes of− of THEM!" Ray roared, pointing a rude finger in the direction of two black girls standing in the corner, smoking. They looked alarmed, and quickly flung their cigarettes in the bin, escaping into the crowded hallways of the school.

Great, now it was just Alan, Ray and the rest of his entourage. The rest of the lot was filled with cars. At least with those girls there would be _witnesses_ to tell the principal he'd done nothing wrong, but−

"Quit spacing off, blondie! We're over _here_!" The tall dark-haired kid stepped forwards, giving Alan a rough shove to the gut. Caught off guard, the latter stumbled, falling onto the hood of Ray's car. His _friend_ tried to help him up, but was shoved back by the other blonde.

"Step aside, Budds. We'll handle this."

"Boy, he sure does trip easy for a football player, huh?" A voice sneered from above Alan, but he couldn't tell who. He was trapped- stuck between a rock and a hard place.

"Sure he does. He doesn't even feel like a boy, man. Check out his wrists, they're weak!" And as if to emphasize his point, the man squeezed, and Alan yelped in pain. The guys all chorused with laughter. Alan didn't know if Ray was one of them. All he could see now were those dark eyes filled with mockery and hatred glaring down at him.

"Maybe he's a fag! Is that why he hangs around scum like them? 'Cuz he likes big black _cocks_?" A sneering voice taunted, high-pitched a screechy. Alan jerked up violently, his temper out of control.

"BACK THE FUCK UP, ASSWIPES! You don't know _shit_!" The Titan snarled, and then promptly spit in the dark-haired one's face.

There was a stunned silence.

And the man he spat on snorted in amusement, wiping the spit away with the sleeve of his shirt.

"Right," He said softly, dangerously, his dark eyes narrowed and a leer on his lips. "_Right_. So fellas… who's up for a little blanket party?"

Alan closed his eyes as he waited for the first blow.

* * *

Gerry and the guys laughed as they made their way out of Hal's, reading to head over to the Hill to waste the rest of the night away.

"Oh, you got yo' ass handed to you _good_." Rev laughed as Petey grumbled, wiping off the remains of a salad from his shirt.

"That chick was friggin' _uptight_, man! And not in the good way, neither," He grumbled. The guys groaned at his course suggestiveness, Sunshine slapping him upside the head. "That's nasty, Petey!" Blue said, wrinkling his nose.

"What? _What_? Dang, ya'll a bunch of sissies if I ever met one. 'Sides Sunshine, though." He snickered, coming back at the Tai-Chi expert. Sunshine rolled his eyes and ignored him.

Julius and Gerry just laughed, them all turning the corner towards Gerry's car.

"Hey, how come Alan didn't come along with us?" Louie asked.

Gerry stopped. "Didn't any of you ask him out tonight earlier? Aw, don't tell me we left him out to dry," The captain sighed, slapping himself on the forehead. "You know what happened the last time we did that!"

* * *

_It was awkward._

_Gerry cleared his throat, poking Alan in the shoulder. _

"_Uh, hey bud. H-How goes it?" _

_Alan ignored him, shoving past him to get to his seat… besides Jimmy Carter (who was a geek and looked absolutely flabbergasted as to why one of the school's most popular jocks would choose to sit next to him)?! _

_But Alan was _his_ lab partner! _

_Gerry was about to open his mouth and protest when the blonde threw him a dirty look, his arms crossed. Oh Sweet Baby Jesus help him, he really hated it when Alan was cross with him. It reminded him too much of his mother, the way those eyes narrowed, and those lips turned downwards and the impatient tapping of the foot._

"_Alright, alright," Gerry relented after three more seconds of 'the look'. "I'm sorry! I should've called you! I'll make sure we catch you after school next time, alright?"_

_Alan huffed and glared to the side. "I spent the weekend in bed. Eating cookies and burgers and ice-cream. I WAS EVEN READING. Like some chick that got dumped." _

_Gerry raised his eyebrows. "Really?"_

_This was clearly the wrong thing to say, judging from the roll of Alan's pretty blue eyes._

"_Well… Alright, I guess I'm sorry for that too, then! NOW will you quit acting like Emma on her period?" _

_Alan snorted with laughter, shaking his head and patting Jimmy's shoulder in apology for using him (he nearly threw up a lung, from the looks of it) and stood up, sauntering past Gerry and slinking into the usual seat next to his. _

_From across the class, Petey and Blue laughed loudly, their obnoxious tones grating on Gerry's nerves. "Aw, that's precious, Big G! You gotcha' girl back, huh?" _

_The class dissolved into giggles, everyone except Gerry who groaned, flopping down into his chair and covering his face. _

"_That's what he said last night." Alan winked at Petey, who practically shrieked with laughter, nearly toppling himself and Blue onto the floor. _

_Gerry just sighed and looked at his childhood friend. Unable to contain his mirth, Alan let out a string of bubbly laughter, his pearly-white teeth and sparkling blue eyes making Gerry wince a little at the dazzle. _

'_He should've been a girl.' Gerry though amusedly to himself. Though he couldn't hide his smile− it was nice to see Alan happy. _

_He hated seeing his bro upset._

* * *

... And yet here they were, on a partying Friday night, _without Alan_.

"We didn't see no blondie after school, man!" Petey said in defence. Rev nodded in agreement, looking concerned. "Did he ditch class?"

"Nah, he was with Blue and I for last period English." Louie said. "Then he said he was gonna go to his locker and put his books away _forever_−"

"_Oh! Oh!_ I know where he went," Sunshine exclaimed, looking pleased with himself. "I think I saw Ray Budds leading him out back."

Gerry sucked in a breath, and he turned slightly pale. Julius stopped in his tracks, eyebrows raised.

"Are you shittin' me? With _Budds_?! What the hell for?" Julius demanded, crossing his arms. He didn't like the way Ray neglected to guard Rev back at camp. He saw the bruises on Rev's arms that could've been prevented if the defender had done his job right.

Gerry shook his head in disagreement at Julius' look.

"They were best friends before _this_," He gestured to himself and the guys. "All happened. Well, actually… the three of us were tight. Way back, you know? Back from when we were kids."

"Oh… So you think they made up?" Louie asked, looking doubtful. "Never thought that would happen. I mean, with Ray's pride and all."

"Yeah," Gerry said to himself, eyebrows furrowed. "Must've been Alan who made it up with him."

"Aw, of course he did, man! He could compete with Rev for his title, with those pretty boy eyes and sweet-ass smile he got!" Petey said, earning a nudge from Gerry.

"You sound like you've got a crush on him," Sunshine said with amusement.

"Well, if Alan were an _Alana_, I'd think 'bout it." Petey admitted truthfully. "You gotta admit, that guy's got a real pretty look 'bout him. I'm surprised it wasn't _him_ Sunshine jumped back then."

That earned Petey another nudge (this time harder) from Sunshine.

"That's because his mother's Kate Whitely… or Mrs. Bosley, now. Y'know, Miss Virginia twenty years back."

"Wasn't even born back then, man," Rev said, a smirk on his lips. "But I see where you're comin' from. That's pretty dang sweet. Got any pictures of her?"

"Why would I have a picture of my bro's _mother_?!" Gerry demanded, looking absolutely disgusted.

The guys burst out into laughter, and it ignited the start of a whole new round of 'Mom jokes'.

Any thought of Alan quickly escaped from their minds.

* * *

**NEXT WEEK, MONDAY.**

* * *

Fred and Kate Bosley were _not _happy, and sick with worry.

Their one and only son hadn't returned home that night. Had he bunked over at a friend's place? Or maybe even a girlfriend's place? How could he be so _irresponsible_!

Both parents agreed on grounding him for two weeks (it had initially been four, but then there wouldn't be much point since he had to go for football practice four days a week).

There came a knock on the door, and Kate leapt to her feet, running to the oak barrier between her and their 'son'.

She opened it, ready to embrace him in a tight and suffocating hug, and was shocked to see Chief of Police Officer James Lloyd standing on her front porch.

"O-Officer Lloyd, to what do we owe the pleasure…?" Her voice trailed off softly as she eyed his grim expression. Fred Bosley came stomping towards them, his arms crossed. "Pretty early for a morning call, wouldn't you say?" He barked, disgruntled about his missing son.

"Well… it's about your son."

Kate and Fred gaped, wide-eyed.

"Is he alright?! Did he get mugged? Oh, I _KNEW _we should have brought him to dinner with us!" She exclaimed, a contrast to her husband's reaction.

"That boy is in for it! This is the last straw, Kate! He's grounded FOR LIFE!"

The Officer held up a hand, rubbing the bridge of his nose tiredly. He shooed away his partner who had alighted from the car to see what the commotion was about, and then eyed the couple warily.

"I'm sorry to be the bringer of bad news, but… Alan Bosley was found yesterday in an alley. He was severely wounded and stabbed three times. There were also signs of… sexual abuse."

Both parents were stunned.

Kate was the first to react− she collapsed on the spot, tears welling up in her blue eyes, wrapping her arms around herself.

"M-My baby Al? STABBED? _RAPED_?!" She shrieked, clutching her blonde hair, in danger of being ripped clean off. "_WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU SAYING_?!"

Fred Bosley leaned on the doorframe for support. His throat had become very dry.

"W-What happened? Tell me _everything_." Fred growled lowly, grabbing the Officer by the collar. "You call your men a _Police Force_?! _You couldn't even protect my boy_!"

Officer Lloyd sighed, shoving Fred's arm off him.

"Please, calm _down_, the both of you. I'd rather you both be seated and subdued before I tell you the rest of it."

* * *

Over at T.C. Williams, things weren't going any smoother.

Mr. Vernon walked into the class, tense and wary. It was homeroom period, and he scanned the sea of tired looking faces, already bored with school despite it just beginning.

"Everyone," His tense voice must have caught their attention, for they straightened up, looking at him curiously. "Please listen. I have an important announcement to make."

"What, you retirin'?" Petey snickered, earning a glare from Rev.

The Math teacher didn't even take the bait (usually he would have thrown Petey out of the class by now for putting his feet on the table), instead, choosing to focus his gaze on Gerry.

The captain swallowed, raising his eyebrows. This couldn't be good. Lucky Alan must've overslept or something, he wouldn't have to endure this awkwardness.

"One of your classmates, Alan Bosley, is in the hospital," At that, Gerry's blood ran cold. Even Petey stilled, his eyes wide. "Apparently, the police have reason to believe that he was assaulted, stabbed and sexually abused−" Mr. Vernon bit his tongue, remembering how the Principal had _stressed_ him to NOT give the details.

Especially not since Gerry Bertier was in the class.

"… Well," Mr. Vernon carried on, trying to avoid staring at Alan Bosley's classmates – his teammates in particular – and tugged on his shirt collar. "He's currently being hospitalized at St. Gabriel's and the police would like the cooperation of all students to provide any information−"

Suddenly, Gerry leapt to his feet (not even caring about his bag) and dashed out of the classroom. The look on the boy's face was _wild_ with fear and despair, the Math teacher noted with a grimace.

Such a terrible tragedy to befall a young man; he decided not to even say anything when practically all the football players in the class dashed out after Gerry, presumably to the hospital where Alan was being kept.

The rest of the class sat in heavy silence.

It stayed that way for the rest of homeroom.


End file.
